la matta of barbaresco

 Marina Marcarino of Punset in Barbaresco, once called la matta (crazy lady) for her revolutionary ways in the vineyard, proved to us on our visit that she's anything but crazy. Her organic ways of working the grapes were once regarded as radical, but the wine world now sees what a genius Marina is! Her vineyards have been in her family for 4 generations although she was the first in her family to make wines as a job and not just a hobby. Walking amongst the grapes with Marina, the first bio-dynamic vintner in Barbaresco [and in fact the first to be certified organic when certification became a thing], you can immediately see her connection to the land and her deep understanding of the terroir. Marina's philosophy, green from soil to cellar, is now to let her vineyards evolve naturally with spontaneously grown plants and grasses throughout, that keeps the land in a true eco-balance, and it is truly reflected in her excellent (think Wine Spectator top 100) wines. Punset does not release a single-vineyard Barbaresco every year, never will Marcarino release a wine until it is drinkable for the consumer. This year the 2015 Barbaresco Basarin was just released; she knew it was a wine needed age and the result is a classical Barbaresco vintage, complex, well-balanced, full of long tannins; her Barbarescos are aged in bottle for as long as they are in wood. The limited quantity Campo Quadro Barbaresco currently being released is 2014 which is incredibly elegant and structured. Bottled fresh from cement tanks, her juicy Barbara d'Alba and white Langhe Arneis are easy drinking and enjoyed young. We immediately connected with Marina, with her self proclaimed tough exterior, she possesses the kindest heart. She is a true Terra Madre Earth mother that we are so proud to represent!